A man from Cameroon has been handed an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months after he pleaded guilty to having stolen a mobile phone in Paceville.

20-year-old Kevin Mengue who lives in Gzira admitted to charges of theft, aggravated by time and value.

It is understood that the woman had been eating at an outdoor restaurant when the accused snatched her mobile from the table and ran off. A nearby police patrol noticed the woman chasing the accused and subsequently pinned him down, arresting him.

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, noting that the man had a clean police conduct and that the stolen item had been returned to its rightful owner, sentenced him to eight months in jail, suspended for 18 months.